As we move further into summer, it’s important to ensure you are prepared in the event of an emergency, including storms, cyclones, and bushfires.
For residents in the northern parts of Queensland, as well as Western Australia, the tropical cyclone season runs from November to April, while the bushfire season is ongoing throughout the summer months.
Many parts of Queensland and Western Australia also experience significant storms over the Christmas period, with strong wind, hail and flooding.
Where to find help
The Get Ready Queensland and Emergency WA websites have a range of resources that are available to assist you, including fact sheet and templates for making an emergency plan and emergency kit, planning with your neighbours, preparing your home for an emergency, and staying informed during a disaster.
The Australian Red Cross also has a RediPlan template, which you can complete to have all your information in the one place, including contacts, evacuation options, details on your medical conditions or disability, insurance and more.
The Bureau of Meteorology provides information on cyclone, flood and storm activity and will keep you up to date on any evacuations in your area.
Things you can do now
- Prepare an Emergency Kit (see below)
- Register for severe weather alerts through your local council
- Have an emergency contact phone list – include 000 (triple zero) and SES (13 25 00)
- Clear gutters, downpipes and stormwater drains
- Trim tree branches well clear of your house
- Check your insurances (home and contents, and car) are current and provide enough coverage
- Understand your property’s risk of flooding
- Make sure you think of your pets in preparing for any emergency: include pet food in your emergency kit and make sure your dog is registered and microchipped.
- Know which loose items in your yard like outdoor furniture and toys will have to be put away if storm approaches
Put together your Emergency Kit
Your kit should include:
- Non-perishable food items and bottled water
- Medical and sanitation supplies
- Light such as a torch or battery-powered lantern with extra batteries
- A battery-powered radio with extra batteries, and other communications devices
- Clothing and footwear
- Tools and supplies
- Other items that you may need, for example infant formula and nappies, spare keys and pet food.
- Important documents in sealed plastic bags (consider scanning copies and place on a USB in a waterproof bag).
Useful links
Get Ready Queensland – getready.qld.gov.au
Emergency WA – emergency.wa.gov.au
Bureau of Meteorology – bom.gov.au
Emergency RediPlan – redcross.org.au/prepare
Other ways you can prepare
We work closely with all our Personal Support and Home Care Services customers to ensure you are prepared in the emergency.
This ensures we can respond directly to your critical support needs in the event of a natural disaster or storm situation, with a clear understanding of formal and informal supports you have in place.
When an emergency happens, our team conduct welfare checks and work to provide updates on your services, and can offer assistance to get things back in order afterwards.
Click here to find out more about Personal Support and Home Care Services.
